Emergency Chocolate
by bacta.junkie
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy was a brave man, he liked to think. At sixteen years of age, he'd faced down a lot of things that are pretty terrifying for a young wizard. Like girls. And puberty. And social pressures, like underage drinking and doing drugs and stuff. He liked to think he would always perform well under pressure, thinking on his feet. Then he found Rose Weasley crying.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! First story in months! This will be a multi-chapter fic at some point. I'm loving this idea. Credit to moonprincess92 for inspiring me with the chocolate thing. This story turned out quite a bit different than hers, but still, I got the idea from her, so she gets credit.**

**Usual disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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Emergency Chocolate, Chapter 1

Scorpius Malfoy was a brave man, he liked to think. At sixteen years of age, he'd faced down a lot of things that are pretty terrifying for a young wizard. Like girls. And puberty. And social pressures, like underage drinking and doing drugs and stuff. He liked to think he could handle anything. He liked to think he would always perform well under pressure, thinking on his feet.

This little world he'd created was shattered the first time he found Rose Weasley crying.

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Scorpius Malfoy had actively avoided the Weasley clan for years. He knew their reputation, knew who his parents were and who their parents were, and decided from an early age that the best course of action was to just not get involved. Get his education, figure out what he wanted to do in life, and stay out of their collective way.

Therefore, it was a bit of a shock when he found the young ginger in tears, hiding in an alcove beside a spiral staircase within the lower levels of Ravenclaw Tower. Despite being in both her house and her year, he'd never talked to her. For that matter, he'd never really talked to anyone. Mostly he just read books and studied. Books weren't rude to him. Books didn't care who his parents were.

He approached with caution, not sure what to do in this situation. His mother had told him never to leave a crying woman alone, and he considered himself a gentleman, but up until that point, he'd never actually needed to follow her advice- it simply had not occurred to him that the situation may arise.

"Miss Weasley?" he whispered awkwardly. It was quite late, and he would miss curfew if he didn't get back to the common room soon, but he couldn't bring himself to care at that moment. "Miss Weasley, are you alright?"

"No I am not bloody alright!" she cried at him, less the 'tears' kind of crying and more the 'screaming in fury' kind, although tears did continue to fall from her eyeballs.

He crouched down beside her, conjuring a tissue from his wand. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, still not quite sure what to do in this situation, but unwilling to leave her alone in this state.

"No I don't," she responded, a bit calmer this time, if a bit meant a whole lot. He sat down beside her, not touching her at all, just next to her, adjacent in a manner that said 'I'm here to listen'. He'd never been much of a talker, but he was one hell of a listener, he liked to think. He drew his legs into his chest, wrapping his arms around his knees, awkwardly staring at the quietly sobbing girl in front of him.

After a few minutes of silence (well, silence and Rose crying), the ginger girl looked up at him again, sniffling.

"What do you want?" she asked in a manner that seemed accusing, as though he wanted something.

"My name is Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy."

And all at once, she stopped crying.

It registered on every level of Scorpius' brain, and he silently applauded himself.

"What?" she tilted her head, still sniffling.

"You didn't seem to know my name," the blond answered. "My name is Scorpius. I would like you to stop crying."

She sat up abruptly, her back meeting the side of the wall, and turned to look out the window. "Well, you got your wish, I guess."

He said nothing, merely following her gaze, before turning to look at her once more. He began to analyze every detail of her; cheeks red, eyes puffy, nose running. She wasn't the kind of girl who seemed beautiful when crying, if those girls even existed. For that matter, she didn't seem particularly beautiful when she wasn't crying, if memory, served. She, like himself, was just a quiet sort of pretty, the kind you didn't notice behind all the beautiful people. Her hair was straight, but noticeably, deliberately so, as though she'd spent long hours forcing it to be that way, and had to constantly maintain it to keep it just right. As it was, strands were beginning to get loose, and the rain that was starting to fall out the window meant that the humidity would probably make it stand on end if she didn't take care of it soon. Her outfit was just as frazzled as her hair; which is to say, not very, but in a way that seemed like she'd spent a great deal of effort to make it that way. Actually, looking at her as a whole, she seemed like someone who had put an enormous amount of time and energy into appearing to be perfect, or as close to perfect as she could manage. He deduced this all in a manner of seconds, not unusual for him. He'd just finished reading the complete Sherlock Holmes series, and was still coming down from that feeling that you get when you read a particularly good book and find yourself thinking and acting like the main character for a while. Fortunately, Rose hadn't seemed to notice.

"Are you crying because you feel like nobody notices the real you?" he blurted out.

"Wha- huh?" Rose turned to look at him, cocking a single eyebrow incredulously.

"You seem like you've been missing something important in your life. Everything about you is carefully well-groomed, from your hair to your shoes. You've spent a lot of energy trying to impress people, and trying to keep that reputation. I imagine that must be quite exhausting."

She laughed bitterly. "Scorpius, have you been stalking me? Or maybe reading my mind?"

"N-not at all, Miss Weasley," the blond began awkwardly. "I noticed that from the way you appear. Your hair is too straight; your clothes are too organized. It's as though you're trying very very hard to look like you're not trying at all." He said these things, and really all of the things he said, just the way he talked as a whole, in a very matter-of-fact way, with no arrogance or opinion in his tone, just a simple stating of fact, very polite in his manner. One might say he sounded very much like a young male Luna Lovegood, if one were familiar with both him and said witch, and were so inclined to go around rudely comparing people who'd never met each other.

Rose sat up a bit straighter, bringing her full attention to bear on him. He felt himself being analyzed the way he'd been analyzing her moments before. He maintained eye contact, even as she looked him up and down.

"My parents told me about you, years ago," she began. At his lack-of-response, she kept going. "They said you'd be a challenge. They said you'd be rude and arrogant. They told me to beat you at every exam, and not to let you bully me." His eyes went wide. She continued. "You haven't said a word to me, or anyone I know of for that matter, in six years. I've not seen you around at all. I mean, we're in the same house, that's obvious from the blue robes, but I don't know you, I've never met you… who are you, Scorpius?"

He had no answer. His mental faculties were unable to answer such questions. He was dimly aware, somewhere in the back of his mind, that this was the longest conversation he'd ever had with a fellow Hogwarts student.

After a long pause, he forced himself to change the subject. "In the future, if I should happen upon a crying woman and nobody else is around to help, what should I do?" he asked cautiously.

She giggled. "Well, first of all, that tissue trick was useful. Start with that. Ask what's wrong, but don't expect an answer. And if she seems angry, don't do that whole deduction trick. Actually, probably best if you don't do that ever." She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "It's weird."

He nodded accordingly, noting this in his mind. "Anything else?" he queried.

"Chocolate," she replied. "Chocolate is the best way to soothe a crying woman."

"Am I just supposed to keep chocolate with me at all times?"

"That's not a bad idea!" she started. "Maybe keep some in your robe pocket, with a charm on it to keep it from melting." She laughed quietly. "Emergency chocolate."

Scorpius smiled wide, bringing himself to his feet. He held out his hand, helping her up.

"Thanks for your help, Scorpius." She stood, embracing him. After his shock wore off, he wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair. Just as abruptly, she released him, turning to ascend the stairs.

"Glad I could help, Miss Weasley," he called after her.

"Call me Rose!" she yelled down, not turning to look at him. He slipped his hands into his pockets and followed her up.

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**Next chapter should be uploaded in a day or so; thanks for reading, please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Whoo! got myself some support for this story! I love when people enjoy things I write! This will most likely end up at around four or five chapters, so stay tuned for more Emergency Chocolate!**

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Emergency Chocolate, Chapter 2

Scorpius Malfoy found himself staring at the same ginger hair and freckles the following morning, absolutely baffled as to its presence in his usual place at the Ravenclaw table, in between, but not actually talking to or making contact with, several other sixth-years. And yet, for some reason, there she was, sitting right next to him, eating her food and making animated conversation with (read: at) him as though this were completely normal.

A part of him was very comfortable with this. It'd been a while since he'd had any companionship and he'd sort of missed having someone who actually wanted to be around him. Still, he wasn't sure what she was doing there. She just sort of plopped down beside him and began talking.

With a burst of quiet courage, he interrupted her rambling.

"Is there a reason you're sitting here, instead of at the Gryffindor table with your family?" he asked, as politely as he could. Despite the fact that he'd only just met her the previous evening, or perhaps because of it, he was terrified of offending her.

"Of course; you're my friend, Scorpius," Rose replied, in a manner that suggested that he was daft for not realizing. "And anyway, what makes you think I want to sit with them? Have you been spying on me again, Scorpius?" she teased, poking him with her fork and smirking.

"N-no, it's just, all your cousins are in Gryffindor, and your brother, and I never see you eating at the Ravenclaw table, so I guess I just assumed you usually sat there…" his voice trailed off, and he awkwardly directed his attention back to his potatoes.

"Well now I'm sitting with you, stupid," she remarked flatly, and that was that.

She sat with him at lunch, too, and walked with him to class, and sat next to him in the classes they shared, and then at dinner as well. He quite liked her company, even if it did confuse him a bit.

They'd fallen into a routine, where Rose said things to Scorpius and Scorpius listened, but he didn't mind not talking, and she didn't mind talking a lot. He found she had a lot to say; things she'd never needed to say to anyone else. Most of her friends had been in her family up to that point, she said, and most of those who weren't might as well have been. Having someone she could complain to was refreshing to her, she said, even if he didn't seem like he was listening most of the time. He corrected her when she told him that, informing her that he listened and committed to memory everything she said to him. To check, she asked him to repeat back the last hour of things she'd said to him, and she sat there as he recounted everything she'd told him about her cousin Albus and his former girlfriend Alice and how they'd get back together soon, she was sure of it, it'd only be a few days. Scorpius threw in a few bits here and there, things he'd been thinking while she rambled, but couldn't bring himself to interrupt her for. After ten minutes of listening to things she'd already said to him, Rose had stopped him in awe and admiration, informing him that she believed him.

After that, their routine was amended. She wouldn't doubt that he was always listening, even when he wasn't looking at her, even when he was looking away from her. In return, she'd pause in between topics, and Scorpius would quietly add his own thoughts to the conversation.

It was three days after he'd found her on the staircase, midway through dinner, during a recounting of a particularly exciting story about a Quidditch match she'd gone to when she was very little, that she abruptly stopped talking mid-sentence.

This was a rare enough occurrence that Scorpius immediately dropped his fork and locked eyes with her, somehow already aware that something important had crossed her mind.

"Have you always sat alone, Scorpius?" She queried curiously, tilting her head.

He pondered for a moment. "My cousin Teddy used to sit with me sometimes in our first year, but he was a seventh-year and he was gone after that." I swallowed another bite of beans, taking his time. "I had a… I don't really know how to describe him. We weren't friends. We barely talked. It was like my dad asked one of his friends to ask his son to follow me around and keep me company. I think my dad worries about me, to be honest. When he went to Hogwarts, he always had an entourage following him around. It bothers him that I don't talk about people when I write home, and that I don't get any letters during the summer. So for most of my fourth and fifth years, I had a… a guy follow me around. We ate together. We sat together in classes. This year father told me he'd transferred to Durmstrang, and that was that." He took a breath, consciously aware of how much he'd been talking. "His name was Marcus Nott."

Rose smiled at him sympathetically. He wasn't sure what to think of this.

"Alright then, it's settled."

Scorpius tilted his head, lifting a goblet of milk to his lips and making a 'hmm?' sound as he drank.

"I'm your new best friend, stupid!" she smiled wide. He choked on his milk.

"Do you- do you really mean that?" he coughed.

"Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?" Rose giggled.

At an absolute loss for words, Scorpius took a deep breath and exhaled, and just looked at her.

Scorpius Malfoy was not often completely speechless. He rarely talked, sure, but that by no means meant he had nothing to say. His mind was constantly moving, thinking, ceaselessly. It was very loud in his head, despite him being a very quiet person outside of it. Rarely was his train of thought ever brought to a grinding halt.

This was one of those moments.

After entirely too long a pause, he managed to squeak out, "Okay."

He paused a bit more, repeated the word four more times, and then returned to his meal. Rose resumed her Quidditch story with an exaggerated "anyway…" and he filed the incident into his memory for future analysis, content to sit and eat dinner with his best friend.

When dinner ended, they walked up to the common room together. When they got to the common room, they did their homework together. When they finished their homework, they played wizard chess together. And when curfew came, they said goodnight, hugged for just a little bit too long, and retired to their beds, having spent the last few hours smiling like fools.

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**Once again, please review and tell me what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**You know, despite the fact that my stories are regularly uploaded and updated at two or three in the morning EST, I promise I do actually live in the midwest of the United States, in the ESTime zone. I just do my most inspired writing very very late at night.**

**I have had a friend proofread each chapter- _after _I post them to this website. So if at any time you go back and read an earlier chapter and find there are tiny differences, that's because she's gotten back to me with her edits and corrections and I've since uploaded the revised version. So no, you're not crazy; I really am making slight changes. They're almost unnoticable, I promise.**

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It was Scorpius' first Saturday with a best friend, and they'd made plans to go to Hogsmeade together.

He'd met her on the staircase Tuesday evening. He'd known her barely three days, and already she was the best friend he'd ever had. He was thrilled to have someone to share his time with. He never really minded being alone all the time, but he found he much preferred the company of others to no company at all. It had occurred to him that perhaps it was just Rose whose company he preferred, and he had filed that away for further consideration.

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Rose Weasley was absent from breakfast.

Upon examination, Scorpius found her impossible to locate. She wasn't anywhere at the Ravenclaw table. Nor could he find her at the Gryffindor table, for that matter.

Actually, he couldn't see a single Weasley or Potter at the Gryffindor table.

Curious.

He labeled that bit of information as "urgent" and immediately set to work trying to solve this mystery, but his mind released no answers.

He shrugged to himself, finished breakfast, and left for the village, hoping that perhaps he'd find her there, waiting for him.

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He did not find Rose in Hogsmeade either. He grew more confused by the minute, going over the previous night's events in his mind over and over again, trying to find some clue as to why she was missing. Still, his memory failed him.

In Rose's absence, Scorpius found he still had one important duty to take care of.

He headed straight for Honeyduke's candy shop, pushing his way past the thralls of students and teachers alike who'd come to sample Ambrosius Flume's selection of treats. He managed to track down exactly what he was looking for in a fairly short time, something he'd seen on display in various shops and stalls in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in years past: Merlin's Magical Nevermelting Chocolate.

Scorpius grabbed a half-dozen bars of the sweet, took them to the counter, and paid for them with credit ("Charge it to my father's account, Mister Flume, sir."). He was surprised and excited to realize that he had actually _said _something to someone. In the past, he'd have spent long, awkward seconds digging through his robe pockets, looking for some amount of galleons to pay for the candy, but instead, he said a thing to a person, and it worked, and there were no awkward pauses or anything!

Scorpius pocketed the chocolate and departed the candy shop. He was in an excellent mood, and it was a beautiful day, so upon his return to the Hogwarts grounds, he stopped to skip some rocks at the lake. He was excited to watch the giant squid wave at him from the surface, albeit several hundred yards away. Today was fantastic, he decided.

He couldn't wait to tell Rose all about it.

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On the third floor of Hogwarts, in a hallway that one travelling from the front door of the castle to the top of Ravenclaw tower (an exhausting climb, by the way) would often take, there is a small balcony in a corner with a beautiful view of the lake. A stone bench rests at the center of the balcony, flanked by a pair of potted plants atop the railing that stops nosy first years from falling off when they try to look out at the lake but can't quite see over said railing. Here the stonework was untouched by damage from the battle that was fought in Hogwarts Castle twenty-five years prior; each brick is exactly as it had been when the castle was first laid down centuries before. Even the bench is carved from boulders of the same limestone quarry that the castle herself was built of, over a thousand years in the past.

It was there on that bench that Scorpius Malfoy happened upon Rose Weasley in a fit of tears for the second time in a week.

He took immediate action, prepared as he was this time for just such an occasion. He sat beside her as silently as he could- he knew she'd notice his presence the moment he sat down; there was no need to announce himself- and, drawing his wand, produced a tissue from the end of it, which he presented to her.

Rose dried her eyes, leaning into Scorpius, but barely a moment passed after her head hit his shoulder before her sobs began anew. Scorpius wrapped an arm around her shoulder, not certain if it was correct to do so, but feeling like he should do something. Rose wrapped her own arms around his stomach and squeezed tight as she sobbed into his chest. Unsure of his next move, he decided to (to quote something his father had shouted while drunk at a Quidditch match) 'go big or go home'.

With his free arm, Scorpius reached into his robe and withdrew a bar of chocolate, presenting it to Rose.

Rose looked to the chocolate and back to Scorpius, drying her eyes on his tie. She looked back to the chocolate, and then burst out laughing.

She couldn't help herself, it was just so absurd.

Scorpius, on the other hand, was confused, but not unhappy. After all, Rose had apparently stopped crying. Well, not quite; she wasn't sobbing anymore, but there were still tears falling from her eyes. Still, he considered it another victory for Scorpius. He made a show in his head of marking a chalkboard that said "Scorpius: 2", followed by "Sadness: 0".

Rose took the chocolate from her companion, slowly peeling the wrapper back and taking a bite. The sounds emanating from her mouth were pleasant and encouraging, and Scorpius stared with great interest as she devoured the treat.

When she was finally finished eating, he spoke.

"What's wrong?"

He considered asking "where were you today" or "was there a reason for your entire family's absence at breakfast", but he was fairly certain the answer to both of those would be included under the category of 'what's wrong'.

"It's… kind of a long story," Rose replied weakly, still shaking.

Scorpius drew her back into his chest with both arms. "Rose Weasley, you've spent the last three days telling me nothing but long stories. You are not going to stop now. Tell me what's wrong, please."

She sniffled, but smiled, and Scorpius conjured another tissue in case she needed it.

"My family doesn't want me to be friends with you, Scorpius."

Rose pulled from her robe pocket a small bronze coin that resembled a galleon but was very clearly not.

"My mother gives every child born into the Weasley clan one of these coins when we leave for school. We have to stick together, you see; we're a family. When one of the Weasleys or Potters going to Hogwarts touches their wand to the coin, the coins in everyone else's pockets start getting very, very hot. It lets us all know that someone in the family has called a family meeting." Rose was sitting up by this point, and no longer crying. She was absorbed in the effort of telling a story, and she wasn't quite looking at anything; her eyes were staring off into the distance, but they weren't focused on anything in particular.

"This morning when I woke up, I found my coin burning, so I came to the usual meeting place for the family; the Room of Requirement. I found…" she took a deep breath. "They were staging an intervention. For me, Scorpius. Every single one of them was there. My own brother. All of my cousins who are still in Hogwarts. They told me they didn't want me spending time with you. They called you… such awful things, Scorpius." Rose looked to him, her eyes wide with fear and worry. "They demanded to know why I was spending time with you, so I told them, and they forbid me from talking with you ever again."

Rose looked away again, resting her head on Scorpius' shoulder.

"So I left."

"What do you mean?" he asked, shocked.

"I told them if they were making me choose between them and you, that I was choosing you. Then I left. I am no longer a part of their little circle. A Weasley-in-name-only." She giggled. "They made me life hell, you know. They were the ones whose expectations I always had to live up to. Without them around… I can be myself. I can be myself with you, Scorpius. I don't need to worry about being perfect all the time."

Rose had had her coin in her hand the entire time, turning it over in her palm as she spoke. She stared down at it for a long moment, and then stood from the bench, striding with purpose to the edge of the balcony. Scorpius watched in awe and admiration as she wound her hand arm and released the coin with a might pitch. It tumbled through the air, coming to rest with a tiny plunk in the water far below.

"Come with me, Rose," Scorpius mumbled, and she turned to find him standing, with his hand outstretched. "It's nearly time for dinner."

She smiled at him, stepping around the bench and taking his hand, allowing herself to be directed towards the Great Hall, saying nothing as he recounted with animated excitement his day's activities. Through it all, she looked to his face, to their clasped hands, and back to his face, smiling wider still with each step.

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**Hope you liked the third chapter! Chapter four will likely find its way to you sometime very tonight or very early tomorrow morning!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 2 was originally supposed to have the events of Chapter 3 in it, but I found after finishing Chapter 2 that it was simply too long to keep adding more to, so I published them seperately. Similarly, the Quidditch match that was _supposed_ to take place in Chapter 4 will be moved to Chapter 5, because I'm such an amazing writer that I keep making my chapters TOO FRIGGIN' LONG. I have never had this problem before in my life. It's always been "too short, too short, too short..." Honestly, I kinda like it. And I'm certain you all like it too, since this story could've been over yesterday, and instead it'll go on until Friday at the least. **

**Anyway. MORE FANFICTION!**

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Scorpius Malfoy was an excellent Quidditch player.

It was late November, and snow was just beginning to fall around the castle. Whispers of their friendship circulated through the school, as student and professor alike told, in hushed tones, the tale of the most unlikely pair since a greasy-haired Slytherin boy and a ginger Gryffindor girl walked the halls, two generations before. People stopped talking when they saw the two coming, whispering and staring. Some, mainly Hufflepuffs, hailed them as heroes, bridging the gap between two eternally feuding families, whilst many Gryffindors thought Rose insane to spend time with him. The Slytherins thought the same of Scorpius. (The Ravenclaws didn't care either way.)

Neither Rose nor Scorpius could be bothered to care what other people thought of them, for they had long since become completely inseparable. They preferred to shut out the world around them, directing their full attention to each other. This had the side effect of cutting them off from the world around them, and they did occasionally walk into walls and tables and such, but they could be bothered to care about that either.

Against all odds, Rose actually managed to get Scorpius to _talk_ to her, and by November they were each spending a roughly equal time talking and listening. An unexpected bonus of this, they found, was Scorpius' newfound extroversion. Having found someone who thought him special, who liked hearing his voice, he no longer chose to seclude himself behind books all day; instead, he would speak up in class, and he would talk to people at meals (but only when Rose wasn't around- when she was, he could be found completely absorbed in her presence). Especially when she was present in class- he even started asking questions of the professors, and correcting them on occasion. Scorpius, they found, was a rather intelligent young wizard.

They discussed every topic under the sun, anything they could think of. Rose told Scorpius about her family, who she liked, who she loathed, who she envied and who she pitied. She told him stories about her parents, and growing up in a household of heroes, and how difficult it had often been. In return, Scorpius spun tales of public shame, of being unable to go to Diagon Alley without glamour charms hiding his face, of having to sit in his father's manor for months on end, never able to leave, for his own safety, from fear of an angry and vengeful populace.

Rose introduced Scorpius to a multitude of muggle gadgets and doohickeys. She told him about television ("You mean the pictures can talk? What do they say?!"), she explained the jet plane ("Dear lord, it runs on _explosions?!"_), and she had a blast trying to tell him about the internet ("Okay, start over. What's a computer again?"). She told him of muggle music and art, of muggle history and science, of all the incredible things they had accomplished without ever lifting a wand.

They had a wonderful time talking about the things they were both already familiar with as well. Scorpius had long had a soft spot in his heart for muggle literature. There were a number of authors throughout history who'd (supposedly) been wizards, who'd published in the muggle world as well. And even still, he liked books written by boring old muggles too. Rose, who'd also been an avid reader for years, relished their discussions, and many, many books were exchanged between the two of them.

They also found they'd both loved Quidditch for years. Though Rose never tried out for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Scorpius had been given a position on the team that very year, as a chaser. The practices lasted long hours, but she was always waiting for him after, and they would sit by the fireplace in the common room, and he would tell her about practice while she allowed herself to be entranced by his voice, and by the animated way he'd tell her stories when he knew he had her full attention.

Scorpius , to everyone's surprise, least of all his own, was an excellent Quidditch player. His reflexes were impeccable, and his skill with a broom rivaled his skill with his wand. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of maneuvers and plays, and spent time after more than one practice walking with his captain back to the castle, enthusiastically discussing the drills they'd run at the following session. Yet another thing he credited to Rose, which he took great joy in informing her. Before he'd met her, he'd never have had the courage to even approach his captain alone, let alone strike up a conversation with the man. (Scorpius had, ironically, tried out for the Quidditch team in an attempt to get out of his shell.)

Which brings us back to late November. Ravenclaw was facing off against the Gryffindor Quidditch team for the first time that year, and Scorpius could hardly contain his excitement. He knew Rose would be in the stands watching him, which made him all the more determined to play his absolute best. On a chilly Saturday morning, he woke up early, ran two laps around the fifth floor, and then met her outside the common room for breakfast. He was positively buzzing with energy, and she couldn't help but giggle at his appearance.

"You're all sweaty. How long have you been up?" she poked him in the side curiously.

"Three hours. Give or take."

"Scorpius! You've been up since five in the morning?" she berated.

"I couldn't sleep! I was too excited!" he complained. "This is a big day for me!"

"Scorpius, you've played two matches this year already. What makes this one different?"

By this time, they'd made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast, and Scorpius hungrily tore through a loaf of French toast. (does French toast come in loaves? Slices? Huh.) It was obvious to Rose, however, that he was specifically ignoring her question.

"Hey, stupid, over here!" she snapped her fingers in front of his face, and he turned to look at her, his cheeks stuffed with food.

He swallowed visibly, nodding. "Yes, dear?" he teased.

"Why is this match any different from the other two you've played already?" she repeated.

"Well…" he began, sighing. "We're playing Gryffindor today. You know who's on the Gryffindor team."

"Six of my cousins. And my brother." She mumbled, eyes widening with realization. "Scorpius, don't do anything stupid up there, please. I know you want to get back at them, but there are a lot of them, and there's only one of you, and you could really get yourself hurt. I swear, if you spend the night in the hospital wing tonight, I'll…" her voice trailed off.

"…bring me chocolate?" he smiled adorably, and she pushed his face away from her, cracking a grin.

"I'm not encouraging you to do anything stupid. Yes, if you end up in the hospital wing, I will bring you chocolate. But if you end the game in one piece, I'll…" she trailed off again.

"You'll what?" he prompted.

"I'll give you a kiss." She blushed.

And just like that, quiet, shy Scorpius was back. "R-really?" he looked down at his food, glancing up at her for a brief second before catching her eye and looking away again.

"Maybe. We'll see. I might change my mind." She pushed him with her shoulder playfully, but it was awkward.

For several minutes, neither of them said anything, or looked at each other, or acknowledged the other's existence. They ate their food, stood, and just looked at each other, not sure what to do next.

"Well, I… guess I'll see you after the game, then," Scorpius mumbled, looking anywhere but at her face.

Rose hugged him tight around his neck, burying her face in his chest. He returned the gesture, wrapping his own arms around her waist and resting his head on the top of her own.

"Good luck, Scorpius. Don't get hurt, please."

"I'll try my best," he replied softly, before releasing her and turning on his heel. She stood there, frozen, watching him as he walked to the doors of the Great Hall, never once looking back. Only when the doors were shut did she return to her food, but she found that she had lost her appetite.

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**Tell me what you thought of it! I love your reviews!**

**The next chapter will be up sometime around 2 am EST tomorrow morning. stay tuned for more Emergency Chocolate, only on ! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd just like to point out that I finished this chapter twelve hours ago, and decided for the sake of consistency not to upload it until just now. **

**Mwahaha.**

**Also, everybody look at our beautiful new cover art, made for us by the lovely and talented eviemacready, aka Tumblr user Reichenstache, formerly Tardis 221b. Everyone go look at her fanfiction, and also follow her blog, because she's my favorite blog and she'll be yours too. **

**Okay. Getting out of the way now.**

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Emergency Chocolate, Chapter 5

Ask anyone who's ever played Quidditch, either professionally or just for their house team: there's a whole different kind of magic involved when you step out onto the pitch in front of everyone. No matter how many times you do it, it's still just as awe-inspiring.

Scorpius couldn't help but gape. The entire school had turned out to watch the match. He felt like he was playing at the World Cup, the way they were all cheering- cheering for him.

He mounted his broom and rode up into the sky with his team in formation, scanning the blue crowd for familiar red hair. He spotted Rose, on her feet and bouncing up and down, but her cheers were lost in the noise. He turned his attention back to the game, reminding himself that this was going to be dangerous, and if he didn't pay attention, he could end up dead.

A brief thought passed through his head: why on Earth were students allowed to play a game that involved flying very, very high on _broomsticks?!_

He laughed in spite of himself. His captain shot him a look, but Scorpius ignored it, taking up his place at opposite the Gryffindor chaser, no other than Hugo Weasley himself.

"Malfoy," the younger man spat out. "Stay away from my sister, you hear me?"

Drunk on adrenaline, Scorpius could barely contain himself. "You know, I would, mate, but she just keeps following me around, and I can't seem to get bloody rid of her!" he laughed.

The whistle blew, and the quaffle was in the air, and a furious Hugo snagged it, pushing Scorpius aside and nearly knocking him off his broom.

_Where did that come from?_ he wondered as he righted himself. _I'm not usually like that, I was rude, I'm not rude!_

Then he reminded himself what Hugo and Rose's cousins had said to her, and had done to her, and decided he could forgive himself if a few mean words were exchanged over the Quidditch pitch- all for the sake of 'friendly competition', of course…

The young blond sped after Hugo, his superior broomstick (father always did buy him the best toys) overtaking the Gryffindor with ease, and just as Hugo lobbed the quaffle towards the middle goalpost, Scorpius shot of the sky, snatching the ball from its path and redirecting to the opposite end of the pitch. In a quietly seething fit of rage, Hugo dove after him.

The game was on.

* * *

Two hours later and the game had still yet to end.

Games of this length were not unheard of- some Quidditch matches lasted upwards of ten, twelve hours- but it was still exhausting for all the players. Scorpius was running out of energy, yet somehow the Weasleys were just as vicious as they had been when the game began. He had lost count of how many times he'd been nearly knocked off his broom.

Quaffle in hand, he again oriented his broom to make a mad dash for the Gryffindor goal post, feeling fatigued and wishing someone would just catch the bloody snitch already. He propelled the quaffle through the circle, stopping to catch his breath for a moment. He chanced a glance over at the Ravenclaw stands, looking for Rose. Just when he spotted her (grinning wide to himself like a total idiot), he felt a solid object connect with his back, and lost contact with his broomstick.

Scorpius Malfoy dropped like a fallen angel, slamming into the ground and falling unconscious upon impact.

* * *

He awoke under surprisingly pleasant conditions.

He could feel the concussion; he'd probably be bedridden for a bit longer, but he would survive. Beneath his aching head was a soft pillow, and there was a blanket atop his dirty, sweaty Quidditch gear. His muscles ached, not with pain, but with disuse- he felt as though he hadn't moved in a thousand years.

Scorpius flexed the fingers of his right hand experimentally, to see if they still worked, just to make sure, you know, just in case. For a brief moment of terror, he found he was unable to move his hand at all, and he began to really freak out, until he realized something was clutching his hand quite tightly.

Or rather, someone. Scorpius pried his eyes open to find Rose Weasley, crying over him, holding his hand as though if she let go he might just die on his bed right there.

His throat creaked as he tried to cough up some words, and he managed to sputter out, "How long was I out?"

She wiped her tears, smiling with joy despite herself. "Two days. It's Monday evening. You missed class today."

He chuckled. "I'm going to miss a bit more, Rose. I don't think I'll be leaving this bed for a few days."

She giggled a bit, but then her smile dropped. "I screamed at James, you know. I told him it was fine if he doesn't like you, I can't change that, but actively trying to kill you made him a horrible person. I sent a letter to Uncle Harry. I don't think my family will give us any trouble anymore." She shivered. "I thought… I don't know what I thought. For a while I thought you were dead. They wouldn't let me come in to see you until this morning, before breakfast, just to prove to myself that you were still alive, so that I'd be stable enough to go to class today- not that I learned anything anyway, I mean, I've been crying pretty much for the entirety of the last three bloody days-"

"Wait, Rose," he interrupted her, the first time that had ever happened. In her shock, she actually stopped talking.

Scorpius wiggled his hand free of her grasp, reaching beneath his Quidditch gear into his left pocket, withdrawing a bar of chocolate, snapped in half by the fall, but still sealed and unopened, and presented it to Rose.

"Please stop crying, Rose."

She took the candy from his hands, staring at it for a moment, then back to Scorpius. He was beaten up, smelly, sweaty, in terrible need of a shower and a change of clothes. His hair was a mess, there were dirt marks all over his face and hands and clothes, he basically looked like he'd gotten run over by the Knight Bus.

She kissed him with everything she had.

Scorpius Malfoy was not often completely speechless. He rarely talked, sure, but that by no means meant he had nothing to say. His mind was constantly moving, thinking, ceaselessly. It was very loud in his head, despite him being a very quiet person outside of it. Rarely was his train of thought ever brought to a grinding halt.

This was one of those moments.

She released his face, staring into his eyes as though searching for something. He could tell she was nervous, afraid, but overjoyed that he was okay- it was practically pouring out of her. He smiled and lifted his arms, wrapping them around her shoulders as best as he could. Her tears had dried, but she was still a mess- no more so than himself, but he hadn't seen a mirror yet. She pressed her hands into the side of the bed, putting her weight on them, and looked at him experimentally. He nodded encouragingly, scooting aside.

Rose Weasley climbed up onto the bed with him, wrapping her right arm over his chest and snuggling her head into his shoulder. His right arm came around her back, clutching her tight.

The aging Madam Pomfrey found them there the following morning, fast asleep, and shook her head disapprovingly. She couldn't help but crack a smile, though, and she left them to rest for a bit more.

**Fin**


	6. Chapter 6 (Epilogue)

**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Screw it. I lied!**

**I was sitting down for bed around four in the morning when this epilogue popped into my head. It's short, only half as long as any other chapter, but here's your goddamn closure. **

**I love that I write things that people actually want to read. It's wonderful when people review my stories with things like "That's all?! There has to be more!"**

**I love you guys, I really do. :D**

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Emergency Chocolate, Chapter 6 (Epilogue)

Two Years Later

No matter how much time he spent with Rose, Scorpius Malfoy would never get used to talking to people.

It was different with her, of course; for some reason she was the exception to the rule. He could talk to Rose for hours, and he could talk to other people when he absolutely needed to. No longer would he freeze up when asked what he wanted to eat at restaurants. No longer would he spend hours wandering aimlessly through shops and stalls at Diagon Alley, searching for one specific thing because he was too nervous to just ask for help from an employee.

But when it came to making small talk?

With actual _people?_

Well. In Scorpius' opinion, he'd much rather spend a day in with his _new wife_ than spend a day out with her family.

Following the incident that would forever be known as 'The Quidditch Match' in conversation, Rose had, as she professed to him beside his hospital bed, owled her uncle, famous auror Harry Potter himself, demanding he reprimand his children and their cousins for the way they'd treated Scorpius. She had written to him explaining why it was so important to her- what Scorpius' friendship meant to her- and pleading with him to help her.

When he received her letter, Uncle Harry had sent howlers to his own children, telling tales of disappointment and shame, and just to drive the point home, he had taken time to return to Hogwarts Castle himself, bringing with him his wife and as many brothers- and sisters-in-law as he could manage, to personally express to their children their disappointment.

Nobody was certain just who threw the bludger that had knocked Scorpius from his broom. Albus said it was Lily, Lily said it was James, and James just shrugged, trying not to look proud of himself. Whoever it was, though, they were certainly sorry when they were made to understand what Scorpius had done for Rose, and why she was so attached to him. Many of her cousins had apologized profusely, though her brother and James were a bit reluctant to accept him.

Eventually, though, Scorpius made friends with Rose's family, and they found him to be exactly what Rose had insisted he was to begin with; namely, polite, quiet, and a wonderful listener. It wasn't long before James and Albus were bringing him along on pranks, and Lucy even asked him for advice on how to get a guy to notice her. (Scorpius had just shrugged. He may have been a good listener, but he had no idea how to handle relationships. He still wasn't quite sure how he'd gotten Rose to like him in the first place.)

And now, sitting at his wedding reception, watching his lovely wife dance with her father, he couldn't help but smile to himself. He'd thought for sure that her family was going to literally kill him. Hell, they almost did.

To his mild surprise, James Sirius Potter sat down beside him, swirling a drink in a glass on his hand. Scorpius turned to accept the attention of the man; despite their newfound acquaintance, in a situation like this, James would not have approached him without a good reason.

James cleared his throat, looking out at Rose and her father, smirking. "You know, if you ever hurt her…"

"…I know, I know, you and the clan will kill me." Scorpius sighed.

"Of course not," James laughed. "She will."

Scorpius tried his absolute best to keep from bursting out laughing, and even still, he couldn't stifle a giggle.

"What?" queried James, confused.

Scorpius regained his composure, leaning in to James without taking his eyes off his new wife.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "She'll poison my chocolate."

Rose looked over at the two of them and waved, smiling bright.

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**AAAAAAAND NOW it's finished. I promise this time. :D**

**If you liked this story, feel free to check out some of my other stuff. I recommend Therapy and Night, although of course, since I wrote it all, I technically recommend all of it. **


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